Dr. Shinstrom with the new ultrasound - Colleen Smith Armstrong photo
Colleen Smith Armstrong photo
Dr. Shinstrom with the new ultrasound

New ultrasound at Orcas Family Health Center

By COLLEEN ARMSTRONG
Islands Sounder Web site editor, Editor
March 23, 2009 · 5:29 PM

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It’s the only one of its kind on Orcas.

Orcas Family Health Center is the new home of a diagnostic ultrasound machine. The Phillips HDI 5000 covers a variety of applications, including OB/GYN, cardiac, abdominal, vascular and muscular skeletal ultrasonic analysis.

Dr. David Shinstrom says the clinic is hiring a certified ultrasound technician from St. Joseph’s Hospital in Bellingham to work in the clinic one day every other week.

“I estimate we have a need for 300 ultrasounds a year,” Shinstrom said.

Emergency ultrasounds will be administered by a technician who lives on Orcas.

The clinic took out a loan to pay for the machine. It has already received a $5,000 donation to help cover the costs, and it has applied to the Orcas Island Community Foundation for a grant. The total cost of the ultrasound is $20,000.

Shinstrom is working on having St. Joseph’s cardiologists and vascular specialists come to the health center quarterly. The clinic has also hired a nurse practitioner, who will work full-time starting in April.

The Orcas Family Health Center welcomes all people regardless of medical insurance status or ability to pay.

Contact Islands Sounder Web site editor, Editor Colleen Armstrong at editor@islandssounder.com or (360) 376-4500.

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